This story is an epic Fantasy, following multiple perspectives. A great city, filled with refugees sealed off from the rest of the world by a gigantic salt wall in order to keep the changelings out. Hundreds of years later a murder happens, that shakes the community, memories resurface, and an old enemy return. The first few chapters were super exciting, pulled me right in, with a lot of mystery, surprises, and action. However, I found the middle of the story to be a very info dump of names of people, places, buildings, etc.… to be so much that I could not keep track of everything. It felt slow going because of this as well as not really connecting to any of the characters. It took me quite a while to get to the conclusion or the big end, which I finished super-fast, it was a good ending, with a lot of twists. I liked the magic system, it was fascinating how it worked and what people could do with their powers, but it also had its drawbacks. The Changelings in this added another element to this book because they can take on the appearances of others, so you don't know who to trust. The writing was ok like I said, but the middle was a bit long. This book was pretty good, and I would recommend it.
Trigger warnings: gore, murder, needles
I received this advanced ebook, via Netgalley. This review is my own honest opinion.

Magic, mystery, and revolution collide in this fantasy epic where an unlikely team of mages, scribes, and archivists must band together to unearth a conspiracy that might topple their empire.

"What makes this book special, even by Erin’s lofty goalposts, is the world she weaves around the characters. Detailed and mysterious, a place to explore and relish. Empire of Exiles is highly recommended!” – R.A. Salvatore, author or “The Legend of Drizzt” and the DemonWars novels

“The beginning of a truly epic tale. Deft worldbuilding and wonderful verbal fencing that is a delight to read. In these pages, you are in the hands of a master.” - Ed Greenwood, creator of the Forgotten Realms and internationally bestselling author

I requested Empire of Exiles on a bit of a whim, and I'm so glad I did. From the first page, the narrative style felt different, like a breath of fresh air in category of books that often feel very familiar. Mysterious/ancient artifacts are one of my favorite fantasy tropes, as well as underlying mysteries - both of which Empire of Exiles had in spades. The worldbuilding is complex and layered and the characters are compelling. I would highly recommend this to fans of adult fantasy who are looking for something that feels new.

Thank you to the publisher and to Netgalley for granting me an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Net Galley for the ARC.

This book looked like everything I could want in a fantasy novel. I love murder mysteries and I think combining both murder mysteries and fantasy is the best hybrid genre. However, I found it really difficult to get into this book. I kept trying to read it, but I think my attention span has worsened because I felt quite lost and like there was a lot of information that I was having difficulty keeping track of. I think this is a book I will have to try reading sometime later when I'm not as distracted or tired.

I always love some good, old-fashioned political intrigue in my fantasy novels. On top of that, a "seasoned archivist" sounds like a fancy name for a fantasy librarian, so you know I'm going to be all over anything that references librarians. What can I say, we're easy to please. It's kind of like how the Oscar nominations always favor movies about Hollywood. Publishers and authors know what us librarians like to read about. Ourselves! But in all seriousness, this sounded like an intriguing book, so I was happy to receive a copy to review from Orbit.

It has been decades since the Duke lead his failed coup, attempting to set up a young princess as the next ruler. He was executed and the world seemed to move on, life going about as usual behind the wall of Salt that surrounds the land to protect those within from the powerful Changelings that linger, ever present beyond. But now, the artifacts of the Duke's rebellion are being brought out of storage. What possible use could they serve but to reignite that old spark? On top of that, a shocking murder takes place and a group of seemingly disconnected individuals all work to uncover the many secrets that are slowly, slowly creeping back into the light.

This is definitely a book made for true fantasy lovers. By that I mean that it can be intimidating as heck to those who might just pick it up on a whim. You open the book and there you see detailed and complex maps. Then you see a huge cast of characters. And then you start reading and it becomes very apparent that not only do these main characters not understand the full scope of their world, but that the author isn't about to clue you, the reader, in any time soon either. But this is not a critique! Indeed, all of these things are exactly the kind of meaty aspects that I think many fantasy readers are looking for in a book. We want to be thrown into the deep end and feel as if we're truly in a new world, one that would in fact be filled with huge casts of characters, need a detailed map to understand, and contain a magic system that goes beyond wand-waving. And this book delivers on all of these things!

Some of it will also be familiar to fantasy fans, which can be a plus and a minus. I didn't think there was anything truly shocking here, though I may make an exception for the Changelings themselves, as I thought they were a particularly interesting threat. But the magic system, while interesting, will read as familiar to many fantasy readers. Basically, practitioners will have an affinity to certain things (wood, bone, stone) etc. which will influence they way they can perform magic. Hence, the salt wall that surrounds the city gains a certain mystique as it could only be created by a very unique sort of person.

The characters were all good as well, though I can't say that I was overly attached to any one of them over another. This is probably a good and a bad thing, ultimately. I wasn't dreading any particular character's chapter, but I also wasn't incredibly invested in one of them either. All told, I think the characters themselves served more as aspects of the world and story that were being created than as the driving force of the story itself.

The writing was quite effective right from the start. It felt sure-handed and well-practiced at balancing the myriad of aspects that must go into creating a complicated world and story such as this one. Indeed, on top of setting up an epic-feeling fantasy world, the author adds in a murder mystery. For me, as a fan of mysteries as well, I really enjoyed this combination of genres, and I think it added an extra zest to the overall story.

It did take me a bit to really get into the book. Because we're thrown in right away, it takes a bit to orient oneself with the players and world at large. This might also be where my lack of immediate attachment to the characters put me at a bit of a disadvantage. Even now, though, I can't point to exactly why I struggled with this. I have very clear memories of some of the first scenes with certain characters and laughing internally at some of the great dialogue right off the bat. Either way, I think this book will definitely appeal to epic fantasy fans looking for a new world to explore, and I will definitely be keeping an eye out for the next one!

Rating 8: The pinnacle of what one looks for in epic fantasy: a sprawling world, a rich history, a detailed magic system, and an intriguing cast of characters to travel alongside.

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It was a great read. The world building was a bit hard to follow, but once I really got into it, I was very much so enthralled.

The characters were unique, and I enjoyed the little bit of budding feelings between some of the characters. I also enjoyed the magic of their world.

I think this book suffered from a lack of worldbuilding. There's definitely an expansive world within this story, but I felt like I was thrown into it without very much context. The premise seemed really interesting, and I thought the prose was good, but I was pretty much lost for a lot of the book. I would much rather have had an info-dump towards the beginning.

This was interesting and I liked the slight found family aspect but it felt like something was missing. We almost jump right into the story and the world-building is a tad info-dumpy. I think the concept was interesting but for 40% of the book, I was super confused as to what was actually going on and who was who. I wish we got more character development and less info-dumping.

The world and magic within this story was really fascinating. I sadly only read about half of the book, though, because I personally was finding the characters to really not click with me, and the murder mystery element had some threads that seemed reasonably suspicious to me, but took the characters aback. It resulted in me not feeling engaged in the mystery, because I don't like feeling as though the characters are almost too dense to recognize possibilities that seem rather obvious to me, even with my unfamiliarity with the world.

As I said, the world and magic were interesting, and I felt the writing itself was good, I just couldn't connect with the plot or characters.

Stars: 4 out of 5

Sometimes you pick up a book because you like the cover or the blurb and discover a hidden gem. This is what happened to me with Empire of Exiles. I haven't read other books by this author, so this book was a surprise hit for me. Now I have a new series to look forward to and a new author to follow!

I loved how complex and "lived in" this world feels. There is history there. There is a past. The different races feel distinct but also plausible, with their own religions, philosophies and physical attributes that don't feel shoehorned into the story just for the sake of diversity. I would love to explore Semilla more in future books. 

The empire itself is an interesting construct. Like the title of the book says, it's an empire of exiles or of refugees, since all the races who call it home fled their native lands facing extermination by a common enemy - the changelings. Desperation and the threat of extermination are sure to force people to cooperate, but I love what they created out of the ashes. An empire that assimilated all these religions and philosophies and let them coexist. 

This world wouldn't be as memorable if it wasn't populated by such vivid characters. I loved all of the protagonists in this story. They felt real. Sure, they had their quirks and their moments of weakness, but they always felt like people. I couldn't help but feel Quill's pain and confusion when his best friend dies in front of him after committing a crime that was completely out of character for him. I rooted for Amadea the more I discovered the depth of horror her childhood has been. Seriously, how did she manage to piece herself together and remain a functional human being after everything she'd been subjected to? I loved all the specialists in the archives and was truly worried about them when their affinities seemed to overwhelm them.

Speaking of the Archives, what a wonderful concept! A central repository of all the knowledge those fleeing nations brought to Semilla when they arrived ahead of a horde of changellings. Where all scrolls, works of art, religious text and everything else is perfectly preserved for future generations.

The magical system is also rather unique. I would like to learn more about it in future books. Especially what differentiates a specialist from a sorcerer, and is that what Yinnii is now? How would that affect the rest of her life?

My only complaint about this book is that the budding love stories feel forced. I mean, there is way too much blushing and stuttering during conversations. I would understand that from teenagers like Quill and Yinnii, but Amadea is in her thirties, so why does she behave like a hormonal teenager who never had a crush? That read so false that it took me out of the story.

Other then that small complaint though, I absolutely loved this book. I can't wait to explore this world more in the next installments. There are still a lot of questions left unanswered, after all. Like is the world behind the Salt Wall really as desolate as we are lead to believe? What really happened with the changellings? What was the Usurper's endgame and why did he need Amadea for it? I'm definitely picking up the next book.

PS: I received an advanced copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

3.5

I am a sucker for fantasy with mystery elements in it so I was already intrigued by this book, and then I found out this follows scribes and archivists, I was sold.

I know Erin M. Evans has written under the Forgotten Realms IP, but this still very much felt like a debut to me. While I loved the historical adjacent fantasy setting and adored several of the characters (I want more Tunuk in the next book please!), it sort of felt like Evans wanted to throw all her favorite fantasy elements into one thing which made the story a little disjointed in my opinion.

The book starts off with a very intense first chapter but then the next 100 or so pages are a little rough because she throws all of these names and ideas out one after another without really giving the reader time to settle into the world. That being said, by the 50% mark I was pretty hooked and found the mystery and conspiracy elements kept me easily turning the pages. I also found the magic system interesting in that character’s affinities sort of mirror anxiety attacks and intrusive thoughts- something I don’t think I’ve ever seen before.

Overall, while I don’t think this was a perfect book, it had a lot of elements that ticked my boxes and I think upon reread/as the series continues some of my issues with pacing and world explanation will be resolved.

An absolutely fantastic, character-driven epic fantasy novel with a mystery plot on par with mystery genre greats. It has a truly unique magic system that seems almost like a panic disorder. Add to that fantastically well-written main characters and villains, and you’ve got one of my new favorite books. (Bonus points for being cliffhanger free, a good sense of humor, and having no petty antagonism between female main characters over men.)

MAGIC SYSTEM:

Each magic user has an affinity for a particular material: bronze, bone, ink, iron, salt, paint, etc. Magic-users can manipulate and connect with the material they have an affinity with, but this comes with dangers. During typically-cyclical episodes called alignments, their connection with their affinity material is so strong that they are vulnerable to panic-attack-like downward spirals where they can lose themselves in their material. They can lose themselves in their magic and even end up entombing themselves in their magical medium. But, their abilities are also temptingly strong during alignments. In addition, emotional turmoil can trigger an alignment out of the cyclical pattern. Finally, sorcerers have constant access to immense power over their affinity material because they are constantly in an alignment. Hence, they are constantly on the edge of a spiral and are constantly at risk of losing themselves in their affinity material.

This magical ability is very reminiscent of panic disorders. Some people are constantly on the verge of a panic attack. Some people get occasional panic attacks or clusters of panic attacks. Some people become prone to panic attacks in times of emotional stress. Some people aren’t prone to panic attacks at all. Except, in this book, magical power and emotion are entangled to the point in which emotional turmoil and magical strength are fused.

PREMISE:

The book followed an eclectic bunch of characters (including a young scribe, a few magic-users, an archivist, and a detective) caught up in a murder with mysterious ties to a failed coup two decades before. Despite there being half a dozen witnesses to the actual murder and a confession, the seemingly open-and-shut case just made less and less sense the more the characters investigated. Soon the characters found themselves on the trail of a very dangerous plot that could endanger their fragile society. A society protected from an outside world overrun with changelings by only an iron wall.

PLOT:

A fantastically twisty mystery plot with all the clues, misdirects, and detective work you’d expect from a great mystery writer. It started a bit slow, but it really picked up and had plenty of action once things got rolling. I was absolutely captivated by the mystery from the beginning, spinning numerous theories. There were so many twists that I never saw coming. The reader has a sporting chance at predicting some of the twists. Each twist made things make more and more sense as the pieces of the puzzle came together. Even the clues that seemed like red herrings at first turned out to be significant. The mystery ended up being quite complex, but it never came off as needlessly or excessively complicated. In the end, the solutions and explanations made sense and rang true.

CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT:

I grew to love each of the many main characters (even the ones I wasn’t sure about at first). Even better, I ended up finding all the major characters impressive. Even the villains. Especially the villains. There were some brilliant and rather terrifying villains. The villains were so diabolically smart that it was just plain fun to figure out their schemes. Honestly, a lot of the good guys could be rather terrifying themselves. The main characters all turned out to have a bit of a morally gray edge. Yet, they never lost their likeability or empathy.

All the characters changed over the course of the story. Even the bad guys, in their own scary way. All of them made mistakes. Every character managed to surprise me without breaking character.

The main characters were both terrifyingly impressive and plagued with anxiety, panic attacks, PTSD, or heart-wrenching grief. The strongest main characters (female and male alike) were survivors of trauma, resilient, and sometimes deserving of a little extra care. Many of them were impressive because of their resilience in the face of these emotional struggles. To balance out all that heartache, the book had some wonderful examples of healthy and supportive attitudes regarding mental health. You saw characters employing calming, panic-attack-averting mental techniques. You also saw characters helping each other with empathy and understanding. There was a lovely theme of characters helping each other remember not to lose themselves. There was a lot of maturity, self-reflection, personal growth, and listening to the special kind of friends that tell you things you need to hear, but don’t want to hear.

I was so impressed by the skilled portrayal of panic attacks, anxiety/panic disorders, and PTSD in the main characters for this book. These psychological troubles were seamlessly worked into the story in a way that furthered the plot, without ever calling them out by name. Some of the characters even used classic grounding and management strategies to stave off panic attacks or flashbacks.

Peeks into the characters’ thoughts drew me into each characters’ state of mind better than any description could. Grief, panic attacks, anxiety/panic disorders, and PTSD were quietly incorporated into the story through the characters’ thoughts. Nothing conveys barely restrained panic quite like a character silently naming the colors of objects around them in their minds to stave off a panic attack. Nothing quite conveys empathy and kindness like characters reminding themselves (and each other) that everyone is deserving of a little extra care sometimes.

The most impressive part: none of the characters that struggle with grief, panic attacks, anxiety, or PTSD are portrayed as weak. All of them were portrayed as all the more impressive for it. For many characters, these struggles were tied to their strengths. For some, it was because of the sheer emotional resilience and strength of mind required to survive with their struggles. For some, it was because their anxiety/panic attacks and magic were entangled to the point of them being at their most magically powerful when on the verge of losing themselves in a psychological downward spiral (and vice versa). For all of these characters, much of their strength of character lies in their ability to pick themselves up and come back from a psychological downward spiral instead of completely losing themselves to it.

There’s nothing like a character that regularly fends off panic attacks being the only one able to keep their cool enough to competently handle the toughest and scariest crises because they have the most practice at successfully fending off panic. The particular brand of confidence that comes from knowing you can fend off panic is both beautifully ironic and incredibly compelling. I’ve never before seen an author believably make a character formidable because of their panic disorder, anxiety disorder, or PTSD. Typically, characters are portrayed as formidable despite their panic disorder, anxiety disorder, or PTSD.

WORLDBUILDING:

Great building, it just took a while to get there. You’re thrown right into the deep end of a high fantasy world with multiple species and a magic system unlike any I’ve read about before. The world got filled in as the plot progressed, instead of having big info dumps. It was occasionally a little confusing without having had all the different species (and their traits) explained upfront, but things never got too confusing. The world had a rich history. It had complex politics befitting a world that once held many, many countries. The world also expanded beyond the scope of the story’s immediate setting.

ENDING:

It didn’t end on a cliffhanger, but there are still antagonists undefeated. There were still dangers left. There’s plenty of material for the sequel and character arcs to be continued. Things didn’t end with a perfect happily ever after, but they also ended fairly happily. A few smaller mysteries were left open and all the revelations brough new questions. The ending was satisfying, but also left my itching for a sequel.

Warnings: death, violence, suicide, panic attacks, PTSD, flashbacks, mind control, kidnapping, drugging

I received a free eARC of this book via NetGalley. I am writing this review completely honestly and voluntarily.

Although I struggled with the pacing of the story and connecting to the characters, I did love other elements in this book. The magic system was very cool and unique. The other thing that really drew me in was the world building, very vibrant and detailed with different cultures and lands. Which i hope we explore in future books.

A ruined civilization. A sequestered city. And a story told through the eyes of archivists who study the collected works of those cultures lost to time and war. 

You can tell that Evans poured all of her nerdery into this book and it’s impressive to behold. She throws everything under the sun into the worldbuilding and while that sometimes overshadows the murder mystery and character work, it all gels nonetheless.

The world Evans has built up feels ripe for exploration and it’s setting up for a great trilogy. With the murder mystery solved and a larger conspiracy laid bare, I’m intrigued to see what shape the next book will take.

The book is worth it for the incredible maps by Francesca Baerald alone.

Thank you netgalley for the advanced readers copy! I loved this book. The characters and the world is fantastic! A must read! Erin Evans has become this years favorite author. I am definitely buying the book!!! Read this book

This was a very intriguing read. Looking forward to the next installment. Thank you for the ARC. 4 out of 5 stars

Conspiracy. Murder. Magic.

Empire of the Exile is an introduction to a world where many nations have been destroyed by infestation of changeling beings. Converged under one nation and protected by the Salt Wall, they all pledge their allegiance to survive. However, discourse led to a failed coup and the tempted Usuper is hanged.. Or is He?

Rich in layers of world building with diversity of ethnicity/beings, religion, and unique magic system, Evans takes us on a journey of many emotions. Innocence before a heart wrenching murder. Believing in yourself and questioning social constraints. A story of growth and friendship and justice.

Once you get pass understanding all the players in the novel, the story flows like water. I love the plot building and the adrenaline spike I felt at the final battle.

I really enjoyed this book and can’t wait for the next one!

Thank you to Orbit & NetGalley for an eARC.

This book was rich in fantasy themes with a murder mystery buried within. I liked the world, the affinities, and even some of the characters. This book can get dark at times, but it doesn’t dwell on that. I did find some of the chapters long winded, i.e., a character is internally fleshing out a decision for 2-3 pages. The initial info dump in the first chapter threw me off as the names are hard to even imagine pronouncing and it took me a bit of time to pick it back up between 30-60%. Once I reached about 70%, I couldn’t put it down. There’s definitely a large ending and it sets up for a sequel quite nicely. I hope the sequel has a recap though and another dramatis personae/glossary so that I can keep all of the names, places, and objects straight!

This is the perfect blend of fantasy and mystery. I love that it's very character driven, but also has a fantastic plot. All the characters are great. There's even a sprinkle of humor here and there.

We start out following Quill, an apprentice scribe. He's been sent by a noble to the Imperial Archives to retrieve some relics. These relics belonged to a very powerful family. The relics would be dangerous in the wrong hands.

Quill's request will have to wait because people with ties to the Archives specialists are turning up dead.

Talk of the relics is dredging up the past. Specifically the coup that failed 27 years ago and killed thousands.

Are these things all tied together? Did I mention changelings?

I loved this book. I loved the world. I can just picture the salt wall keeping the changelings out. The cast of characters is fantastic. I'm very excited for the next one.

First off, thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an arc in exchange for my honest review. Also, congratulations and thanks to Erin M. Evans for publishing this novel.

Empire of Exiles presents the tropes you think you know from new and interesting angles. This fantasy-meets-mystery novel follows several unique characters as they attempt to untangle the motivations behind a shocking murder, as well as their own backstories. Although the work contains less action than many contemporary fantasy pieces, its worldbuilding and characters propel the story forward.

Empire is extremely character driven. Each character feels distinct and fleshed out, and you can hear their voice in Evans’ writing. As the story progresses, the author feeds the audience bits and pieces of their past and personalities, prompting the reader to study the characters as if they were mysteries themselves. The cast interacts well with each other, and they promise interesting futures!

As for the plot, it revolves around discovering the murderer and his/her/their motivations. I thought Evans did a nice job of keeping the audience engaged with clues and intrigue. Most of the book takes place in the archives, and very little action occurs until the end, which I believe may prove positive or negative depending on one’s personal preferences. The ending indicates a larger series; although this book laid ground for upcoming works, it does not feel like setup, but rather a story in its own right.

If you are willing to sacrifice a traditional fantasy quest for a motely crew of interesting characters and their development (that was meant in the best way), this book is for you. It is quirky, fun, and engaging. I look forward to the rest of the series!